Tag Archives: Worship

Strangers in the Crowd

Posted on March 23, 2013 by expressyourself4him

The biblical accounts of The Triumphal Entry contain 3 common threads, except for John who only mentions two, John 12:12-18.  Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1-11 and Luke 19:28-44 explain the detailed preparations necessary to make the first Palm Sunday a reality, followed by specific instructions Jesus leaves with two of his disciples.  Once executed exactly according to Jesus’ own words, all 4 authors emphasize the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy by the triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the waving of palm branches, an act of praise and worship by the strangers in the crowd.

While the Holy Spirit, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, led Matthew, Mark and Luke to recount these 3 main details, John is moved in a different direction, focusing on individuals who attended this celebration.  John 12:17 suggests that people who went to Lazarus’ funeral lined the streets, paying homage to the man who brought their friend back to life.  Though this passage shines light on a few of the participants, clues, hints and logic are the only tools we have remaining to connect the dots to the faces of these strangers in this crowd.

Matthew 20:34 confirms that two blind men from Jericho whom were healed by Jesus, followed him to Jerusalem.  Bartimaeus is named directly by  a similar account in Mark 10:46-52.  Meanwhile, Matthew 19:13-15 informs us that children were granted access to Jesus, likely following their parents trying to sneak a peek of Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.   According to Luke 19:1-10, a short tax collector began climbing a tree to get Jesus’ attention.  After a life changing visit with Jesus, Zacchaeus was surely present, either in the front row or climbing another tree to pay Jesus the respect he deserved.

With all the clues and hints within Scripture used up, logic leads me to believe that anyone healed by Jesus came to the first Palm Sunday.  Furthermore, any family member who either heard, knew of someone or actually saw Jesus make a person whole again was likely in attendance.  As Palm Sunday 2013 approaches this weekend, don’t be left out in the cold.  Rather, line up early to become another stranger in the crowd, ready to worship the risen King!

by Jay Mankus

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My Two Cents

Posted on March 17, 2013 by expressyourself4him

During my junior year of college, I once attended a local church in Newark, Delaware, in walking distance of the University of Delaware campus.  Up to this point, I had never experienced a pentecostal worship service.  Beside realizing I couldn’t keep a beat or stay on clap with the regular members, something unusual happened during the tithe.  I have heard of 2 different offerings occasionally, one for the church and another for missions or a needy family.  However, this church had the quickest counters I have ever seen, informing the pastor after the song, there wasn’t enough money collected.

Since I was a typically college student at the time, poor with a few singles and some change in my pocket, I passed on my first opportunity to give.  Moments later, the pastor began preaching on Malachi 3:6-10, so I obliged giving nearly half of what I had in my wallet.  Just when I thought the actual sermon would begin, this preacher began to shout, “yelling you have to give until it hurts,” like the widow in Mark 12:41-44, informing the ushers to make one more pass around the pews.  Although the message he was trying to communicate was clear, this pastor’s tone turned my roommates and I off, never stepping foot into that church again.

I believe tithing is like going to church, reading the Bible or praying.  If someone forces you to do any of these biblical principles, you may agree to do it, yet there is a void which exists within your heart.  When you take ownership of your faith, you want to go to church, read the Bible and pray.  Therefore, your heart is the key to giving, which led the widow to offer up her 2 copper coins worth a fraction of a modern penny in Mark 12.  For what it is worth, my two cents are give in secret, Matthew 6:3-4 and give back to others what God has bestowed upon you, Galatians 6:9-10.

by Jay Mankus

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Mere Images

Posted on February 28, 2013 by expressyourself4him

The expression “you are what you eat” is nothing new.  Nor is practice what you preach.  However, the prophet Hosea brought me something fresh and poignant this morning.  According to Hosea 9:10, you become a mere image of that which you worship.

If you study time management theories, you will stumble across the Pyramid Theory, which attempts to break each day into 24 one hour time slots.  Since the average individual sleeps roughly 8 hours a day, every person has 16 hours to invest their time.  If work consumes another 8-10 hours per day, people may only have 6 hours for their own personal use.  Thus, how you treat these precious hours will reveal your character, interests and priorities.

Israel had wasted their free time indulging in self gratifying practices during the days of Hosea.  This decision caused most of the Jews to become like grapes rotting in the desert heat.  As a result, their hearts shifted toward corruption, radically transforming their lives.  Instead of dedicating their bodies to the God of Abraham, most desecrated their flesh to shameful idols.  Looking into a mirror, their witness became just as vile as the images they worshiped.

Today, golden calves have been replaced by the internet, television and twitter.  While Jesus calls people to go into the world to tell others what God has done for you, Mark 5:19, the real question is, are you living in this world or of the world?  When people look into your day planner, where are you investing your time?  Do people see Jesus living in you or in something else center stage?  May the month of March serve as a transition, a restoration project to erase sin from your life by allowing Abba Father, to mold and shape you into the precious image of Jesus his son, 2 Corinthians 4:1-6.

by Jay Mankus

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Look to Him, Not to Us

Posted on February 26, 2013 by expressyourself4him

When you are young, its easy to take for granted the places you visit and family vacations you experience.  As an adult, I am learning to appreciate each special opportunity the Lord grants me, one day at a time.  This morning I awoke early, before the crack of dawn, reminiscing about some of the greatest worship moments I have ever encountered.

Singing One Bread, One Body prior to communion at my first Walk to Emmaus weekend still gives me goosebumps.  The Community gatherings at Willow Creek in Chicago I attended every Wednesday night for a year combined immaculate worship with the teaching of John Ortberg.  The rock concert at The Church of the Open Door in Minnesota during my youth ministry trade school in the Twin Cities gave me an idea of the intensity one must bring to fully worship God.  However, this past weekend while visiting Vineyard Christian Fellowship on Appleton Road in Landenburg, Pennsylvania, I felt as if I was in the presence of the most high.

Psalm 100:1 was the inspiration behind the song Shout to the Lord.  The following verse, Psalm 100:2 calls people to make a joyful noise.  However, there is a temptation for worship leaders to think, “look at me, don’t I have a great voice?”  As a karaoke enthusiast, I spent several summer evenings in college hanging out with friends at a local night club, often singing 4 songs prior to leaving.  When you were good, the crowd went crazy following your last line.  If you weren’t, like me, I felt like a professional golfer receiving a subtle clap of applause.  My high point of Karaoke came at the 1995 Canadian P.G.A. Tour Qualifying School on Vancouver Island hosted by Morningstar Golf Club.

After a poor opening round, shooting in the 80’s, I went to a local sports bar in Nanaimo to drown my sorrows.  Since most singers were distracted by the NHL playoffs, plastered on a dozen televisions, volunteers for Karaoke were slim.  Instead of drinking, I used singing as a vehicle for healing.  To my surprise, I nailed Can’t Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon, actually hitting every note on cue.  As I handed my microphone off, the place erupted.  Thinking the Canucks, Vancouver’s professional hockey team, had just scored a goal, I turned to the nearest set to see what I just missed, trying to catch a replay.  To my amazement, the audience was cheering for me, praising me for my performance.

The message God placed on my heart over and over this morning is “Look to Him, not to us!”  Since I haven’t had much success singing, the temptation to steal credit from God isn’t there.  However, there are other areas, venues in which I have stolen the limelight from the Lord.  David reminds us in Psalm 16:2 that apart from God we can do nothing.  Therefore, whether you are leading worship for your church, fulfilling the duties of your occupation or fanning into flame your spiritual gift, look to Jesus for strength, 2 Corinthians 12:9.  By demonstrating biblical principle, other  people will start looking to Him, not to us, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.

by Jay Mankus

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3 Against 1 or Three in One

Posted on January 11, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Where I come from, 3 against 1 isn’t a fair fight.  Yet, every morning, millions of Americans leave the safety of their own home to enter the war zone I call life.  Three invisible forces gang up on individuals daily, assaulting their minds, emotions and will.  Enemy #1 is your own flesh, Romans 8:5, implanting within you a spirit of curiosity, swaying your conscious to experiment with the unknown, Genesis 3:5-6.  Public Enemy #2 is this fallen world, 1 Peter 2:11, using a spirit of persuasion to conform your mind toward the excuse, “well, everybody else is doing it!”  Spiritual Enemy #3 is Lucifer, encouraging a spirit of disobedience within young people, Ephesians 2:2, fixing their hearts on earthly treasures, Matthew 6:21-24.

Watching The Sunset

On the other side of this spectrum, lies an invisible fortress built upon the Logos, the written word of God, prayer, fasting and worship.  The Father created this heavenly castle, sending His Son to inform the masses of its existence, John 14:1-4.  This kingdom does not use brute force, peer pressure or schemes to trick its occupants.  Rather, this paradise involves selflessness, servant-hood and sacrifice, Matthew 20:25-28.  The entrance fee is relatively inexpensive; one might say priceless, John 3:5-8.  Yet, this domain thrives on humility, love and obscurity.  There is only one star, one spotlight and one who is worthy to be praised, 1 Chronicles 16:25.

Heavens Door HeavensDoor.jpg photo

In the end, the choice is yours, to live for today, joining the 3 forces above or live for eternity?  God established free will so that people might choose love over evil and obedience over sin.  Like the line from A League of Their Own, when Gina Davis tells Tom Hanks, her manager, she’s quitting the team before the World Series.  Hanks replies, “If baseball was easy, everyone would play it.  The fact that baseball is hard; that’s what makes it a great game!”  According to Revelation 3:19-20, God created a special door for his kingdom.  The only handle of this door is located on our side.  Thus, God continues to knock on the door of your heart, yet only you can let Him in.  Today, the Spirit of Jesus has been left behind to guide you once you open this door, John 14:16-17.

by Jay Mankus

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Divine Revelation; Not Human Intuition

Posted on September 26, 2012 by expressyourself4him

On Saturday morning, I had about a 30 minute conversation with a parent who read an online article.  Obviously, I was out of the loop since I had not heard about any of the details he mentioned.  Later on in the evening, I talked to a woman who had a daughter at the school referenced in this piece.  When I followed the 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 principle to get to the truth of this matter, I realized I should rely on divine revelation; not human intuition.

Unfortunately, too many people believe what they see on the news or hear from people they trust.  The busyness of life, hectic pace of society and local distractions have led most people to become lazy, not testing the information they encounter.  Therefore, half truths and opinions have replaced facts as reality, like an oasis of lies in the desert.

According to Romans 10:17, faith comes from hearing the message, which is Christ, the word of God.  The more people can set time aside to withdraw to a secluded place like Jesus in Luke 4:42, they can develop an intimate relationship with God.  When you add worship to your weekly schedule, Romans 12:1, divine revelation can break through in the form of a message, sense of peace or a rhema, a word from the Lord in your heart.  Slow down today, find a quiet place and listen to the word of the Lord so that you will know God’s will for your life, Romans 12:2.

by Jay Mankus

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